Of Fandoms and Foodstuff
Had a so-called Japanophile field day today -- browsed Kinokuniya with kaiten sushi for lunch afterwards. Couldn't find the SaiRel fanbook, which JV-neesan told me was apparently out already (with browsing copies), couldn't afford either of the Salty Dogs (although they were prememinently tempting), but I did grab the very last (or single) copy of Backgammon-Remix. Must find out who the non-Saiyuki charas are. The two boiz in the snow with blood were kinda cute *snurfle snurfle*. I've also come to the conclusion Mine just LOVES purple-eyed bishounen...
Met a Japanese Jehovah's Witness in Kino too. Survived. Let's just say I believe in a quotation of Shaw's: Religion is a great force--the only real motive force in the world. But you must get a man through his own religion, not yours.
Crab-drunkenness ensued a few minutes ago after 3 large pieces of sweet-and-sour crustacean (interesting and infallible phenomenon) and all of a sudden, I have the urge to write Dyna x Tiga shitei-ai. Oy, 'tis scary.
*cradles limp red-and-silver superhero* My Ultraman fandom is dying. Seriously. Just as I'm getting back into it, it's crumpling up on the floor with a Colour Timer too worn out to blink and hands that are far from firing another Specium Beam anytime soon. Seriously! Every time I've gone to Kinokuniya ever since I finished my current collection of Ultra Ninja Manual (Shippuu, issues 2-4; Kotobuki, issues 3-5; Ultra, issues 2-4), the last lonely issues of Ultra 2 and 3 have been sitting unloved on the bottom shelf. Come ON, guys, RESTOCK already! If you can just give me Ultra #1, where Taro, Leo and Sasahilar bite the dust, Gaia appears for the first time, and Tiga gets wounded and angsty, I'll get to complete at least one run of the series! Oh yes, ne, (Midou) Kazuhiko-sensei, when's the first issue of Flash coming out? And will it come to Malaysia, copyright issues or no? The showing of Cosmos has been pre-empted by Samurai Jack, and although I vaguely like the dude, I'd prefer big, blue and silver over small, swift and Oriental.
It's also vaguely disheartening to see on the page for Tsuburaya's newest hero, Ultraman Noa, not the usual, kid-friendly and comfortably cheesy blurb thing but some shiny words on how he becomes Tsuburaya's new marketing strategy. Seijin_666 sums it up nicely:
Superheros,and TV shows wether(sic) they are from Japan, the US, or whereever, are a form of modern mythology, and therefore quasi-religious icons in themselves. When we start developing them strictly for the sake of increasing marketing values, and creating a higher financial benefit, we start degrading their essence, and their chances of having any true value themselves.
...Get back to the true essence of story telling itself, to not only entertain, but to also enlighten. Don't start making changes to make more money, make changes to make the series better.
Oh yes, and they said more info was coming in the April issue of TerebiMaga (now on sale). What happened was RM 27 went to Kodansha, and what I got out of it was...a picture of Noa that basically said 'Suddenly, a strange light surrounds Planet R (so where are the Baltans?), and a strange platinum giant appears in front of the UltraWarriors! Who could this mysterious giant Ultraman Noah be?! Find out in the May issue of Teremaga!' *feels like bitchslapping Tsuburaya and Kodansha but still likes them too much*
Where is the heart and soul and inherent cheese that made Ultraman all that more human?
As I was desparing over the lack of Comic BomBom, though, I turned around and, bang, saw issues of Newtype and Animate behind me. March issues, but what the hey. Snapped up the Animate (for the cover, because it looked more Saiyuki-ish) and had a pretty good time reading it. Gawked at Hoshi Souichiro's new 'do and almost ralphed. Saw the evil yaoiness bubbling up through the pages and cringed. Saw the yummy pictures of the boiz and didn't mind at all afterwards (Hakkai feeding Hakuryuu from his own spoon--eeeh, so kawaii.) Perhaps I might keep an eye on that one occasionally...
It's nice to know Saiyuki is still going strong, even as I am slowly distancing myself gradually from it to buckle down for SPM. The fandom/fendom is going bonkers anyway--I can't find a good fic that doesn't involve the boys screwing/angsting/bonding in explicit ways anymore. It sort of drains your inspiration. Listen, people, I know Mine's a yaoi mangaka and even I indulge in happy 39 and 58 thoughts, but I never use anything more than a double entendre or a touch. Never a kiss nor a hug (unless its het--briefness), because to do so would detract from the fandom. The tension and the questioning--to me, that's what makes a pairing truly a good one. You don't need to hump your way into fiction to prove that hey, guess what, I LIKE this dude though he's the same gender because, well, because he's such-and-such a way. It doesn't help nobody can write properly nowadays. Everywan wants 2 get reviuews!!!!!one111oneONEoNE! (A/N: Becuz liek these author notes they're the cooleh! ^_^)
...This is why one shouldn't indulge in Fangirlese too often. Kinda seeps in.
Met a Japanese Jehovah's Witness in Kino too. Survived. Let's just say I believe in a quotation of Shaw's: Religion is a great force--the only real motive force in the world. But you must get a man through his own religion, not yours.
Crab-drunkenness ensued a few minutes ago after 3 large pieces of sweet-and-sour crustacean (interesting and infallible phenomenon) and all of a sudden, I have the urge to write Dyna x Tiga shitei-ai. Oy, 'tis scary.
*cradles limp red-and-silver superhero* My Ultraman fandom is dying. Seriously. Just as I'm getting back into it, it's crumpling up on the floor with a Colour Timer too worn out to blink and hands that are far from firing another Specium Beam anytime soon. Seriously! Every time I've gone to Kinokuniya ever since I finished my current collection of Ultra Ninja Manual (Shippuu, issues 2-4; Kotobuki, issues 3-5; Ultra, issues 2-4), the last lonely issues of Ultra 2 and 3 have been sitting unloved on the bottom shelf. Come ON, guys, RESTOCK already! If you can just give me Ultra #1, where Taro, Leo and Sasahilar bite the dust, Gaia appears for the first time, and Tiga gets wounded and angsty, I'll get to complete at least one run of the series! Oh yes, ne, (Midou) Kazuhiko-sensei, when's the first issue of Flash coming out? And will it come to Malaysia, copyright issues or no? The showing of Cosmos has been pre-empted by Samurai Jack, and although I vaguely like the dude, I'd prefer big, blue and silver over small, swift and Oriental.
It's also vaguely disheartening to see on the page for Tsuburaya's newest hero, Ultraman Noa, not the usual, kid-friendly and comfortably cheesy blurb thing but some shiny words on how he becomes Tsuburaya's new marketing strategy. Seijin_666 sums it up nicely:
Superheros,and TV shows wether(sic) they are from Japan, the US, or whereever, are a form of modern mythology, and therefore quasi-religious icons in themselves. When we start developing them strictly for the sake of increasing marketing values, and creating a higher financial benefit, we start degrading their essence, and their chances of having any true value themselves.
...Get back to the true essence of story telling itself, to not only entertain, but to also enlighten. Don't start making changes to make more money, make changes to make the series better.
Oh yes, and they said more info was coming in the April issue of TerebiMaga (now on sale). What happened was RM 27 went to Kodansha, and what I got out of it was...a picture of Noa that basically said 'Suddenly, a strange light surrounds Planet R (so where are the Baltans?), and a strange platinum giant appears in front of the UltraWarriors! Who could this mysterious giant Ultraman Noah be?! Find out in the May issue of Teremaga!' *feels like bitchslapping Tsuburaya and Kodansha but still likes them too much*
Where is the heart and soul and inherent cheese that made Ultraman all that more human?
As I was desparing over the lack of Comic BomBom, though, I turned around and, bang, saw issues of Newtype and Animate behind me. March issues, but what the hey. Snapped up the Animate (for the cover, because it looked more Saiyuki-ish) and had a pretty good time reading it. Gawked at Hoshi Souichiro's new 'do and almost ralphed. Saw the evil yaoiness bubbling up through the pages and cringed. Saw the yummy pictures of the boiz and didn't mind at all afterwards (Hakkai feeding Hakuryuu from his own spoon--eeeh, so kawaii.) Perhaps I might keep an eye on that one occasionally...
It's nice to know Saiyuki is still going strong, even as I am slowly distancing myself gradually from it to buckle down for SPM. The fandom/fendom is going bonkers anyway--I can't find a good fic that doesn't involve the boys screwing/angsting/bonding in explicit ways anymore. It sort of drains your inspiration. Listen, people, I know Mine's a yaoi mangaka and even I indulge in happy 39 and 58 thoughts, but I never use anything more than a double entendre or a touch. Never a kiss nor a hug (unless its het--briefness), because to do so would detract from the fandom. The tension and the questioning--to me, that's what makes a pairing truly a good one. You don't need to hump your way into fiction to prove that hey, guess what, I LIKE this dude though he's the same gender because, well, because he's such-and-such a way. It doesn't help nobody can write properly nowadays. Everywan wants 2 get reviuews!!!!!one111oneONEoNE! (A/N: Becuz liek these author notes they're the cooleh! ^_^)
...This is why one shouldn't indulge in Fangirlese too often. Kinda seeps in.